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发帖数: 3150 | 1 China's vice president and future leader Xi Jinping will meet with
President
Obama today, nearly 40 years to the day after President Nixon arrived
in
Beijing to radically reshape relations between the two nations. Xi is
in
the U.S. for a week's worth of meetings in Washington, Muscatine, Iowa,
and
Los Angeles.
Xi and Obama have some things in common. Xi's daughter, Xi Mingxe, is a
sophomore at Harvard, Obama's alma mater. Obama is a basketball fan, and
word is Xi hopes to catch a Clippers game Friday in L.A., but it is not
yet
on his official schedule.
Xi is also a fan of American movies, particularly World War II epics
such as
"Saving Private Ryan" and the gangster film "The Departed."
Nevertheless, no one expects this visit to be a real game changer.
Instead,
this is Xi's debut as a world leader, and an indication of how China
increasingly sees itself on the world stage, according to experts on
China-U
.S. relations.
The timing - and just about everything else about Xi's visit - is being
carefully orchestrated. It comes just before China undergoes a massive,
once-a-decade leadership change. Xi's predecessor, Hu Jintao, made a
similar trip in 2002, just before he took over. Xi Jinping (prounounced
Shee Jin Ping) is scheduled to replace Hu Jintao as general secretary of
the
Communist Party this spring and as president of the People's Republic
in
2013.
As for the U.S.? The administration has a long list of topics to
discuss
with Xi, everything from trade, to the military, to human rights,
according
to Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes.
There is also the issue of two American citizens currently detained in
China
. Dr. Xue Feng is a geologist serving an eight year prison sentence for
purportedly selling state secrets. Hu Zhicheng, a businessman, is
blocked
from leaving China under similar accusations. Obama raised the issue of
Feng's imprisonment when he came to China in 2009 to no avail.
On this trip, China is not expected to agree to a single request.
That's
expected to be frustrating for the U.S., but symbolic of an increasingly
confident China, say long time political observers in China.
Xi embodies both that confidence and a shift; the world hasn't seen a
leader
like him in China before.
At 58, Xi is of a generation that came of age at a time when China was
no
longer receiving major aid from the U.S. His predecessors grew up
during an
era, going back to World War II, in which many Chinese could not
imagine
life without U.S. assistance. But Xi was just 24 in 1978, the dawn of
China
's transformation from a closed, communist economy to the international
powerhouse that it is today. Many Chinese in his generation hold
respect
for the U.S. but no longer feel as indebted nor, perhaps, as grateful.
Perhaps the most sensitive subject expected to be discussed during Xi's
official visit is the so-called "pivot," the administration's intention
to
bolster security in the Asia-Pacific. The region is a top priority in
Obama'
s new defense strategy. The shift comes amidst growing concern over
China's
strategic goals and potential effort to reduce U.S. capabilities in the
Far
East. But many Chinese see it as nothing more than an effort to
contain
China.
Still, China is not looking for a fight. Domestic stability, and the
flow
of American dollars (to keep purchasing Chinese goods), are key to
maintaining China's economic growth.
The trip marks a return to familiar territory and fond memories for Xi.
He
will spend time in Muscatine, Iowa (the "pearl of the Mississippi" and
former home to Mark Twain). In 1985, he traveled to Muscatine to study
advanced hog raising techniques and spent two nights with an Iowa
family.
While it may be his official "U.S. debut," what we do know about Xi
plays
well in China. He grew up the son of an influential politician. His
family
enjoyed the privileges of the elite until his father had a falling out
with
Chairman Mao and went to prison. As a result, at the formative age of
15,
Xi left his life of urban comfort and was sent to the countryside for
re-
education as part of the Cultural Revolution.
He spent seven years living in a cave and working the land. Many Xi
observers in China say this lead to a personal transformation. During
this
time he learned to work well with the local community, despite radically
different backgrounds and, at times, ideologies. This would prove to be
an
enduring, and valuable, trait put to use during his early career in the
military and subsequent shift to politics.
Although a U.S. Embassy memo, made public via Wikileaks, referred to him
as
"redder than red," within China he's known as more of a centrist than a
fervent Maoist.
His visit comes following U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to China
last summer, and ahead of Secretary Hillary Clinton's visit this spring.
By
then, Xi will be the head of the Communist Party.
Outside of his professional biography, what is known of his personal
life is
rather colorful as compared to leaders past. Xi is married to the
famous
folk singer Peng Liyuan (although while the two were dating he
reportedly
told her he didn't know any of her songs because he doesn't watch much
TV).
ABC News' Devin Dwyer contributed to this report
http://news.yahoo.com/xi-jingping-future-chinese-leader-makes-u
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